Thursday, October 15, 2015

This cut and paste job is from one of my favorite writers, David Love.

"Oh, Ben Carson, what went wrong? He was the pride of the black community back in the day, with his leadership in neurosurgery and his autobiography-turned-film, Gifted Hands.
But then he started speaking out — about politics — and decided to run for president. Now we don’t know him anymore, as he has become the darling of white conservatives.

Ben Carson would be the anti-Obama, the first black president designed especially for white conservatives. For the white right wing, he would be their useful Negro in Washington — better yet, their magical Negro.

Rupert Murdoch already set the stage for us, with a tweet that told us exactly what he thought of Carson as president versus the black president currently in the White House:

Rupert Murdoch

✔@rupertmurdoch

Ben and Candy Carson terrific. What about a real black President who can properly address the racial divide? And much else.

Read New York magazine for minority community disappointment with POTUS

After all, who is better qualified than Rupert Murdoch to determine who is a real black president? Murdoch later apologized, but surely he knew what he was doing. White conservatives — tired of hearing about racism and the complaints of black folks, and longing for the days when they could simply run roughshod over people of color without backtalk and uppityness — need a Ben Carson. And they’ve had a long time to think about this.

Clarence Thomas was the original prototype. By no means among the most qualified candidates for the Supreme Court — and not even the most qualified black Republican — Thomas served a useful role on the nation’s high court in dismantling everything his predecessor Thurgood Marshall stood for. Although he benefited from affirmative action and the civil rights movement, he and his handlers positioned him as the up-by-your-bootstraps Horatio Alger in blackface who needed no one to get ahead and made it up the ladder on his own. The story was made out of whole cloth, and it was not designed for black consumption, though some in the African-American community fell for the okeedoke, and it was too late once they woke up.

What we have gotten is a lot of self-hate, hatred of black people from the bench, and outright attacks on the legacy of the civil rights movement, including the gutting of the Voting Rights Act.
Enter Ben Carson, with his story of growing up in poverty and not needing government programs to get ahead. Since he entered the race, he’s just become worse and worse. In 2013, he said Obamacare was the worst thing to happen to Americans since slavery. He argued that homosexuality is a choice, asserting that prisons make you gay. Then, the doctor said that a Muslim should not become president, then said he could support a Muslim who denounces Sharia law, as if he really knows what Sharia law is.

Now, Carson is weighing in on the gun debate following the massacre in Roseburg, Oregon. Carson called for arming Kindergarten teachers, argued that the victims in the massacre should have fought the gunman, and even suggested the Holocaust “would have been greatly diminished” if Hitler had not disarmed the German people. And Carson also made comments directed towards LGBT families by claiming “traditional families with traditional, intact values do much better in terms of raising children. So let’s stop pretending that everything is of equal value.”

Carson is on the scene in order to make white conservatives feel comfortable in their skin and to validate them and their racism, Islamophobia, sexism, homophobia, their desire to return to the 1950s, and everything else. “A black man said it, so it must be alright,” they’ll say. A trail of outlandish, offensive comments is the only way a black man will get ahead in today’s GOP, the de facto party of white nationalism, for all of their lip service to outreach and the so-called big tent. And in the primaries, Trump and Carson are giving the unhinged white Republican base all the raw meat they can eat.

To his credit, Carson did break with Jeb Bush and supported a reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, which does not fit into the Tea Party agenda. But on everything else, he is on point- — if you are a white conservative, that is.Ben Carson should know better, but he is giving the voters what they want. No one is saying black people should be monolithic and think the same way, but Carson is not for black interests, nor is he intended for a black audience." [Source]I was raised in a Seventh Day Adventist home, so I was prouder of Dr. Ben than most. We shared the same race AND religion. Now, though, I am embarrassed for the man, and like David Love I find his pathetic pandering to right-wing ideologues embarrassing. I still respect him for what he accomplished, but I am saddened to think of what he has done to his legacy.

"I was raised in a Seventh Day Adventist home, so I was prouder of Dr. Ben than most. We shared the same race AND religion. Now, though, I am embarrassed for the man, and like David Love I find his pathetic pandering to right-wing ideologues embarrassing."

===========I like Ben Carson for his faith and religious views. As a Seventh Day Adventist I know that practically all members of that faith are Republican, save a few exceptions who are messed up anyway.

We need a President with a strong faith and a belief in God. That is what makes a President honest. IMO, either Ben or Trump will be President. Hillary won't.

Field convinced me. I already believed that conservative goals are contrary to progress in race relations. If there were equal economic opportunity for example, that would go a long ways towards achieving racial equality by decreasing racism. There is always a backlash when the governments leads on progressive steps toward equality. The government integrated the military before the private sector integrated, affirmative action moved us much closer to economic and educational equality, and busing helped races get to know each other. Allan West was too much to stomach, but I thought of Ben Carson as being a positive influence in the sense that he reinforces to white conservatives that blacks don't fit in a monolithic stereotype. People are individuals and Carson shows it. But I wasn't taking into account how Carson validates white people's racism. Field is right.

Is Rupert qualified to say who's a "real black" person/president? Not sure.

But this I do know: Were Ben Carson just words on a screen here, espousing his politics, you, Field, would be the very first one to say he wasn't really black but rather a white troll -- followed close behind by the usual suspects.

So we know who you think is qualified to make those judgments.

Is this bozo qualified? Probably not. But why shouldn't he do so in a culture that seems to embrace such classifications? It's not like he and Fox started the identity politics trend.

After all, I can count on one hand the number of times in seven years I have heard President Obama referred to as such minus his race, at least from supporters. Most anti-Obama idiots are calling him BO or Obummer or a socialist or whatever. 99.999% of the stuff I hear coming from supporters always qualifies it first by saying "black President," or "black father," or "first black -insert title.-" And obviously not only from black people; primarily from white people.

This isn't the world that dumb-ass Murdoch created.

"Carson is on the scene in order to make white conservatives feel comfortable in their skin and to validate them and their racism, et al..."

Seems as though the gop needed Dr. Carson because all of their other tokens don't seem to be working out the way they intended. Haven't heard a peep from Timmy Scott and please Field put out an APB on Mia Love, that sista is either missing or in the witness protection program. She was a key speaker at the gop convention and then crickets. Something is up with these negroes, they should be on Fox 24/7 cooning and doing the buck dance for whitey.

If you really want to know what happened to Dr. Carson watch Undercover Brother. Just kidding.

If you want to believe that Dr. Carson has a chance to be president, I have to suspend my belief in the white race. I don't believe that they will give up the power they have always had in America. Just watching the same crews holding on to power in America should tell us something about the people that are allowed to run for office.

America celebrated the new century by displaying that race was finally being buried. Just selecting a "safe" man of color ensured that the power core was still intact. How we were duped into rallying behind a man that was "for the people" was a masterful stroke on the part of the power brokers. A man of color that have not lived as a colored. We were given this man that has truly showed his colors.

Dr. Carson now presents as another person of color that has demonized people that looks like him. Too bad that he too is a prop. So far he is being used to buy time for a political party that is still seeking for a strong candidate that could win. Too bad the time is being spent on waiting for the next blunder by DR. Carson or some circus antics by Mr. Trump. The Republicans can hide behind these two for several more months. Hoping that Ms. Clinton self implode.

I too still respect and admire the good doctor. It too bad that I see his presence as being part of a side show.

I was banging this hot black chick the other night; I'm packing something serious "down there", so black women always hit me up for sex. (I'm Irish, BTW.) After we were done, she told me how much she LOVES Donald Trump. I was shocked, frankly; I had her taken for a die-hard Obama Zombie. But no, she said The Donald was just the opposite of the sissy-ass black so-called "men" like Obambi who never come through on their promises. She knows what black "men" are like, of course. She never knew her dad, either; he was gone before she was born.

I think black folks are going to go for The Donald big time come 11/16. Just you watch.

"I will be happy to answer that on the same terms as my claim that my home (which I own free and clear) is worth well over half a million dollars: you put up a big pile of money as a bet (north of $100k) and hire an attorney to view the evidence yea or nay. The answer you get back is "you were right (and here's a check)" or "you were wrong (and James Bold got your money)"."

Little Jimmy, am I right in thinking you are quite a small man? I'm guessing about 5'8" to 5'9" something like that. There is definitely something of the 'Little Man Syndrome' about you.

...and just to make things clear little Jimmy, even if you did own a $500k house, it is absolutely no big deal. My house is worth more than that and it's older than your entire fucking country.

Interesting - So Blacks who actually achieve and are great role models for children, Nuerosurgeon, CEO's, Rocket Scientists, Supreme Court Justices...Are the bad blacks. But community organizers, race baiters are the good blacks.

No wonder why the Black race is, and has always been a hot mess everywhere in the world.

Now that the slave catchers have failed to get Dr. Ben back on the Democrat plantation, they must smear and attack him in order to take him down.

". No one is saying black people should be monolithic and think the same way,"

Slave catchers are always saying that before the go and round up blacks who leave the Democrat plantation.

But, if you are black and listen to or sing country music, or rock music, or a black female who dates white men, or if you don't vote democrat or act the way blacks like field think you should, you are attacked and smeared for being different.

". No one is saying black people should be monolithic and think the same way,"

To whomever originally said this:

That there exists a bubble of ideologically simpatico folks who decry all dissent as some form of systemic oppression is to be expected. Politics is the closest thing to religion there is, and an ideologue is precisely identical be their ideology a religion or a political philosophy (collectivist solidarity for neo-progressives).

But something these folks will eventually have to realize, either the easy way or the hard way: The rest of us actually live in the world.

Holy shit. Nobody's saying that? I count literally one black person on this entire blog whose opinions and ideology stray from the pack, disagreeing with Field and PX and PC on the reg, and you know what folks say to him? "You're not black; you're white." Their evidence? He doesn't think how they think, therefore he's white. If he were black, he would think how they think, recognize what they recognize, and understand that resistance is futile -- embrace the Borg monolith, allow the osmosis of shared life experience based on skin tone to wash over you like the cooling waters of a baptism, and side with your brothers! No? You say Field might be wrong, Josh might be right, etc? You're white! You can't possibly be black. If you were black, you'd be X and Y, not Z!

Black people on this very blog, in large numbers have created a series of admission criteria to be called "black." But no one is saying blacks are monolithic and must think alike? lol

Yeah. People actually live in the world, ya know.

As probably the only person here who did grow up in an inner city, while everyone else just pretends to know what it's like because they watched The Wire, it's 100x times worse IRL. Be the black kid who had a father, went to school, and focused on your career. You'd have to stay the hell inside in perpetuity! You weren't "black" you were white if you had that life. Ironically, that's the life most folks here claim to have had: Fathers, focused on their education, middle-class lives. lol Chum.

Really Josh? The ONLY evidence we have that the humor troll isn't Black is because they disagree with the rest of us? And you're the only one who lives in the real world because you grew up in the inner city? Well sir, there is a real world out there and in it blacks and whites share vastly differing views of this world. Many of us have shared experiences and one of those is being able to discern a troll attempting digital blackface. If you notice our friend typically uses the tell tell signs of digital blackface but hey what would I know? I know about being Black from watching The Wire. Ha! Here we go with this again. Josh, it's not about being in lockstep ideologically but it's a shared bond of similar experiences. And trust me, I didn't learn about city life from The Wire, good show but David Simon can't teach me what's going on.

Here's the thing Josh, a while back I posted a humorous article about how to detect digital blackface and one of the clues was the person always starts whit "as a Black man" and notice our troll does that. No Black person does that. It's pretty obvious it's now kind of a game between he and Field and it's not serious. He is obviously a humor troll and everyone seems to understand that but you but I think you know this. You use my name to try to lure me into a debate with you because the Cow got bored but let me not fall for it. You need attention and I guess felt you weren't getting it. Let's you and me be done, please don't use my name in your posts again please. I ask nicely. Thanks Josh.

The Cow got bored? The Cow still manages to spam shit in new posts from like four posts ago, plucking out a single line from my posts every single comment and doing his typical fly-by from the high horse, same as it ever was. So let's not save face for our buddy here. He's a big boy. He's not bored. He's still trying to figure out a way not to look like a moron after having blatantly claimed that there can be no greenhouse effect without man causing it. I mean, you're not going to hold him to account for shitting the bed on that. He's real, not digital. You can't do that to the folks. You and I both know that. You'll figure a way to put it on me that he was stone damn stupid on that one. It is what it is...

You wrote: "Here's the thing Josh, a while back I posted a humorous article about how to detect digital blackface and one of the clues was the person always starts whit "as a Black man" and notice our troll does that."

I wrote: "You can't possibly be black. If you were black, you'd be X and Y, not Z!"

Umm...case closed, I'd say.

One of the criticisms I hear Christians levy against Muslims is that Islam simply rewrote their book. Hilarious, of course, seeing as the Bible is just an amalgam of other religions' stories as well. But the point is that it's easy to play hindsight bias. You see something, you give it a name -- a new, shiny one. You pretend it's nice and different and you get to shove it any context you want.

That you want to create a blatantly arbitrary set of dos and don'ts for what is black and what isn't black is certainly your right. But don't act like you predicted and it happened; it happened and you cited it. Different things entirely. It happened, you decided arbitrarily that your personal opinion was objective fact, and now you are literally holding other human beings to that standard.

I literally cannot count how many times I have heard Stephen A. Smith on First Take start out his comments with, quoting verbatim, "As a black man..." Legitimately. Check homes out on YouTube or Google. Hundreds of times he starts with the one thing you say a black person would never start with. Stop pretending your arbitrary opinion is objective reality. It isn't a debate I've lured you into; you can't call this shit a debate.

Your call. Do what you feel. I'm gonna laugh at it and probably spam about it.

Wow, that was a long assed rant. Sorry man, I'm not going to read all of it. Can we just agree to avoid each other? I mean you're a nice guy and all but it's me not you. I feel kinda trapped and I think it's better if we both move on. Ok? No hard feelings?

I had a girlfriend once who did the same thing. I think we've all dated that girl! You know, the girl who tells you she's leaving but never leaves. "I'm going now. Bye. Okay, see ya. Fine. Hey, sorry, it's me, not you. Umm, hello? I said IT'S ME! Fine. Be that way. Ignore me. That's all you're good for. I need space. I'm going now. I'm leaving. Bye. Goodbye. Can we still be friends?"

Bitch, leave!

I can't tell your ass what to do. Do what you feel! Why the fuck are you seeking my approval for it and putting on airs about your option to not read what I write or deal with me, as you're blatantly dealing with me?

Strange fuckers I find here, I swear to goodness. But I don't completely hate. Where else can I read gems like "digital blackface." lol

"Holy shit. Nobody's saying that? I count literally one black person on this entire blog whose opinions and ideology stray from the pack, disagreeing with Field and PX and PC on the reg, and you know what folks say to him? "You're not black; you're white." Their evidence? He doesn't think how they think, therefore he's white. If he were black, he would think how they think, recognize what they recognize, and understand that resistance is futile..."

Josh's endless ability to completely get the wrong end of the stick, remains totally breath-taking.

On the topic of buffoons like Trump and Carson leading the GOP pack of candidates, the head of the Republican National Committee is panicking:

“I do think that we’re cooked as a party for quite a while as a party if we don’t win in 2016,” Priebus told the conservative Washington Examiner.

“I think that we have become, unfortunately, a midterm party that doesn’t lose and a presidential party that’s had a really hard time winning,” Priebus concluded, adding, “we’re seeing more and more that if you don’t hold the White House, it’s very difficult to govern in this country.”

He definitely should be wetting himself. His party is indeed circling the drain.

If the Democrats get their organizational shit together and rectify the gerrymandered districts that the cobbled together in 2011, the Republicans won't be winning the midterms, either. They will be losing every single election, not just the ones in presidential years. Their coalition of greedy oligarchs and rural white bigots just doesn't work anymore at the national level.

Unless they can manage to make a serious attitude adjustment, they're headed for a future in which they only control a few states in Redneckistan -- and that's about it.

"They will be losing every single election, not just the ones in presidential years. Their coalition of greedy oligarchs and rural white bigots just doesn't work anymore at the national level."

That particular penny still hasn't dropped from any number of Republicans. There are not enough angry white people anymore to win you a presidential election. You piss off gays and lesbians and you lose 8 million votes. Piss off Latinos and you lose 35 million votes. Piss of atheists and you lose another 8 million.Now they already lost 90% of the black vote some decades ago, that leaves them with an ever shrinking demographic with which to build a coalition of angry people. Politically, their strategy of stoking hatred of minorities backfires as soon as the minorities work together to form a majority of minorities makes no sense.

There has always been two types of American conservative, the 'small government' type, and the 'god' type. When the small government types can't keep the god types under control, that spells bad news for the Republicans.

Blogger PilotX said..."Here's the thing Josh, a while back I posted a humorous article about how to detect digital blackface and one of the clues was the person always starts whit "as a Black man" and notice our troll does that. No Black person does that. It's pretty obvious it's now kind of a game between he and Field and it's not serious."

First, PX you should never believe everything you read. Whoever wrote that article didn't know what he was talking about.

Secondly, I am Black and have used the phrase "as a bm" for decades....ever since the 60's. During MLK, MalcolmX, James baldwin, Langston Hughes, Ralph Ellison, and a host of others used that phrase, esp during the days of "I'm Black and I'm proud."

Of course, Blacks like you and PC are so removed from what it is to be Black you wouldn't know this.

Btw, no Black uses the 'White" term "blahs". But you sure as hell do. You really ought to stop letting Whites define you.

BM don't do that. You, on the other hand, DO. You remind of Stephen who used the master's way of describing his slaves.

Finally, JOSH knows a lot more about your race than you do. It is self-evident to those of us who KNOW what it is to be Black.

I certainly don't claim any type of expertise about anything. Hell, I barely know what it's like to be myself. That's enough of a struggle as it is. Even my two younger brothers, who share my DNA and a skin tome, and still I have no idea what it's like to be them. My younger brother is a foreman for a shipping warehouse, married with a kid, and my youngest is a repo man, shacked up, unmarried with two kids. I work as a lead copywriter for a gambling service, have on-again, off-again relationships, and 0 kids. I have no idea what it's like to be them, much less people of differing experience and whatnot from different class levels.

However, I did grow up as the 1% minority in a predominantly black locale, on the underside of poverty. Everything people here say isn't true, I've seen the literal exact opposite firsthand. I live in the world. I can observe reality. That's the only point I try to make: Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's rain, MF; I live in the world and have eyes.

And I brought it up earlier to illustrate that people say X is not the case, though I have seen in person that X is most certainly the case. And the people telling me that it's not the case are not the "blacks" that are typically represented by Field on this blog ala supposed injustice, shootings, etc: Bastards, poor, neglected, ignored, etc. The folks who attempt to tell me which way the wind blows went through school, had both parents to lean on, grew up in decent homes in decent areas, etc. That they think they can tell me what I know and what I don't, simply because they have more melanin -- well, suffice to say that airborne osmosis is something I view as neo-progressive collectivist bullshit that operates on pure sophistry and contains little truth. I wouldn't say zero truth, just very little. Inasmuch as experiences are the same, one must factor in more criteria than strict skin tone, lest one is literally arguing that LeBron's kids are oppressed as baby millionaires. One must factor in geography and immediate culture and home lives and education, etc, etc.

This myth of airborne osmosis, which literally works around the globe and means a guy from the UK can speak better to the inner city of Chicago as long as the person he's speaking against is not black, because UK guy is black -- well, it's nonsensical mysticism with zero evidence to support such phenomena.

JOSH, thank you for your straight forward comment. I am Black and I KNOW Whites who KNOW plenty about Blacks simply because they lived among them.

The problem with Field, PX, and PC is they have a stereotyped image of what a bm should be like. Which of course, is not reality because Blacks are not the same nor do they necessarily have had the same experience. I find those three Negroes disgusting and embarrassing to, not only the black race, but to the human race.

"Many have used the phrase “digital blackface” to describe the odd and all-too-prevalent practice of white and non-Black people making anonymous claims to a Black identity through contemporary technological mediums such as social media. It often involves masquerading behind the Black face of a fictional profile picture. These attempts, while hilariously transparent, take advantage of the relative anonymity of the internet to perpetuate decontextualized stereotypes and project an image of Black people that fits the desire of anti-Black individuals.

Screen Shot 2014-08-28 at 8.38.12 AM

It goes undocumented and unaddressed in most cases, though occasionally the people behind the blackface are unmasked. When musician, alleged feminist, and keen event planner Ani Defranco came under censure after revealing a former slave plantation as the locale for her Righteous Retreat, a workshop for creatives, fans flocked to the event’s Facebook page in support of the gathering (and to attack its detractors), including “LaQueeta Jones.”

LaQueeta Jones’ comments include gratuitous usage of grammatically incorrect African American Vernacular English (AAVE), an evocation of MLK, and the bulletproof phrase of authenticity, “as a black woman.” An altogether weak attempt at internet minstrelsy, it prompted a skeptical Facebook user, MF Addaway, to track the IP address of “LaQueeta Jones,” and bust the actual account holder, Mandi Harrington—a white woman who had posted earlier in support of Defranco."

It goes undocumented and unaddressed in most cases, though occasionally the people behind the blackface are unmasked.

1) How can one know how prevalent a thing is if it "goes undocumented and unaddressed in most cases"? That is the sister stat to "only 10% of rapes are actually reported." In plain English: "I suspect that this is something that happens a lot, and while I do not have a single hard stat to back it up, or any evidence whatever to bolster my claim, I'll just weasel words like 'most cases' to give the impression that white folks want to present themselves as black folks."

2) So, their criteria for sniffing out said digital blackface is to play grammar Nazi with English that is intentionally broken up into an urban dialect? And if one brings up MLK, it's a tell-tale sign. And if one refers to her/himself as "as a black man," as you can find a prominent black man like Stephen A. Smith do 300 times a year, then those are how you catch the digital blackface! Not doxing. Not actually literally finding out that it's a non-black person pretending to be black. Not having someone admit to doing such. But by creating a literal admissions criteria of what "black" is: Must score X on AAVE, must not evoke MLK, must not use "as a black man." I mean, for the one case, that seems to be the criteria (more on 3). But then the assumption is that, hey, one person tried it, so it must be many!

3) "though occasionally the people behind the blackface are unmasked." There's one. The rest? Any?

4) WTF for? A Klansman behind every rock, Rachel Dolezal behind every door, Mandi Harrington under every bed. Though rather than holding suspicions to the rigors of an IP trace or any further investigative work, we'll instead work on the assumption that this "digital blackface" is a thing and not a statistical anomaly...because reasons.

Hey anon @7:19pm if what you say is true you sound like an interesting dude. If you are old school like you claim why don't you do what Brother Panther did, create a screen name and add historical context to some of the posts here. You can school youngstas with the wisdom you've gained over the years. This is of course assuming you really are an OG and not just a humor troll. Surprise me man, let's see if you're the real deal.

Good observation TPC but you have to factor in low voter turnout during non-Presidential elections, voter suppression and gerrymandering. Think about Texas, if Latinos of voting age all registered to vote and the gop keeps pissing on them the Repubs wouldn't even whiff the White House for the next 30 years. Remember what happened in Georgia when the Dems tried to register more voters. This may not be an issue in the future if the Dems can keep the WH and nominate rational supreme court justices who understand voter suppression is still a thing.

As an American Jew, I often don't agree with the majority of American Jews politically. Does that make me a bad Jewish person or a sell-out to my tribe? In FN's opinion, probably. My differing views mean I have a different opinion based on my world view and life experience. It means I think for myself.

As Black Americans, our steadfast Democrat vote has contributed heavily to our perpetual underclass status in this country. Democrats are no more "in our corner" than Republicans. Carson deserves a strong look. His position on self defense is that of a self-respecting, independent-minded individual. There is much to respect about such a perspective. Black America must be prepared to embrace a forward-looking mindset while never forgetting the lessons that Jim Crow, crony capitalism and traditional US politics represent concerning the leanings of this country.

Anon3:24pm, and Commenter 5:31pm, Thank you for your comments. Some of the FN Blacks such as Field and PilotX and Purple Cow would do well to give some thought to the diverse thinking and experiences as well as diverse interpretations among Blacks.

Instead of labeling and calling some Blacks as not Blacks because they don't fit the mold of their perception of what it is to be Black, they might try a more positive approach. They are much too negative and degrading in so many ways toward their own kind.

They have become the very people they detest. Of course, they will deny it and continue to do the same behavior over and over again expecting people will buy into their bs.

They think and behave very much like Rev Al Sharpton. This is what White Democrats like to see continued forever.

Dr Ben Carson would make a superb President and would do more for Blacks' self-Respect and Self-Care than anyone....EVER! In so doing, he would do a lot for America the likes never before seen.

Pilot, I'm not clear on whether your digital blackface comment refers to me. I can tell you that I was raised in a (Black) Democrat voting household and over time I came to realize that my vote was *expected* based strictly on my skin tone and address. This struck me as pretty weak. What were the Democrats who I and my fellow city dwellers doing for us when it really came down to it? The message that really resonated with me was one of self-determination. I consider myself an independent at this point. Peep Amos Wilson's Blueprint for Black Power, and Thomas Stowell's writings on economic and social issues. These are cats who cut through the noise and lay down clear-eyed prescriptions for moving forward in the 21st century.

Fine, you and everyone else should vote for who they feel is the best candidate and what remedies they feels will work best. If the majority of people feel those are Democrats then so be it. We all have to walk our own paths and I am glad you are doing so Commenter. Keep it up.

BTW Commenter, the blah community has ALWAYS had a message of self determination and self reliance. This is nothing new and anyone who suggests otherwise is diluted. I don't need Dr. Carson to teach me this, he is not the first nor the last successful man of color. To tie this message to voting patterns is misguided IMHO and suggests a particular agenda.

PilotX, your substitution of "Blah" for Black really throws me for a loop, and undermines your message (in my eyes). Can you let me know what you mean by it?

As to my agenda, I am simply trying to figure out how I can best contribute to the process of Black America practicing self-determination and assuming our rightful position on the world stage. I think about this matter. A lot. I am reading this book presently on the subject:

I am deeply skeptical of the mainstream social/political messages that abound, which represent simplistic, short-term responses to the manifestations of long-established, deep rooted problems around justice and equity and simple human dignity in this country. (These are not just Black/White issues).

Since my family has historically voted Democrat, and since the (inner-city) community I grew up in is dominated by Democrats, I have come to recognize that very little of the work they have done over the past 30+ years has had much of an impact on improving the lives of their constituents. This is not to say that Republicans are any better, or would have made any more of a positive difference. On the contrary, I see the two-party system that's in place as two components of a con game in which everyone who plays loses. But what has really been made clear to me is that the Democrat and Republican parties are flawed in different ways. The Democrats, who as I mentioned earlier have the luxury of knowing that Blacks will overwhelmingly vote in their favor, are motivated to keep things just as they are, in order to avoid rocking the boat. So if a person like myself is interested in changing some very fundamental elements of life in Black America (and I am fully aware that "Black America" is a blanket term, and that we as Blacks in America are not some homogeneous block), then the Democrat party is unlikely to be the political group to support this goal. I hate how Black city folk are pandered to and fed lies (mostly be Democrats). So my message is one which I hope will prick the consciousness of any person (Black, or otherwise) who is interested in dealing with facts and truth, and determined to iron out inequity by making it happen ourselves, as opposed to hoping and praying that tomorrow will be different from yesterday....just because.

Furthermore, my views on self defense, which fall much more in line with the (original) Black Panthers than with most Democrats today, puts me at odds with the party.

Ben Carson identifies as Republican. Unfortunately this means that many Democrats basically write him off without really considering what he actually is talking about. I will ultimately vote for whoever is prepared to help me advance my "agenda" that I wrote about above.

First dr. Carson's message is lost because he is not a serious candidate not because he is a Republican. Gen. Powell would have been a serious candidate and for the record dr. Carson is not promoting a message of Blah advancement. (Search the term blah people, it's an inside joke for the folks here on this blog). As far as which party represents urban areas it doesn't matter. It is up to the informed citizen to participate in the democratic process and that means holding elected officials accountable by attending city council meetings and communicating with their elected officials. I'm not sure of the Democratic party's stance on self defense nor do I care, it's called SELF defense for a reason.

I didn't say that I did not know the official position of the Democratic party on guns. What I'm saying is no party platform dictates how I protect myself and family. I know many Dems who own guns. 1. Dr. Carson has never held elected office so he has no clue as to what he's getting into. 2. He stumbled badly on questions about foreign policy. 3. He stumbled badly on questions about economic policy. 4. He makes ridiculous comments that make me question his sanity. Now don't get me wrong. He is a brilliant doctor and if I needed brain work I'd turn to him and also all gop candidates are insane so if I had to choose I'd want the brother but he is in no way qualified to be the leader of the free world. Maybe if he ran for senator and got elected and brushed up his resume but as of now I don't see him as qualified.

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